Cloth-folding machine.



C. A. STEWART. CLOTH mmm@ MACHINE.

APSLIGATIGN FLLED JAN.15,]913.

Patented Sept. S, 1914.

i SHSETSSHEBT l.

s'rii'rns e.

CHBLES A. STEWRT, DE* EOLLI'SFR), KEW

stern-minime ninemsn.

vlpeeifieati'wn'i of Lettere Fatemi'.

lintented @ont S, Hilti.

innemen and :www it, isis. sessi no. mai-Je.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES A. STEWART, of Rollinsord, in lthe county of Stratford .and State of New Hampshire, a citizen of the United States, have invented a new and "The present invention relates to an inv provenient in cloth folding machines and especially to that type of clothfolding niachine described in my copending application forLetters Patent of the United States, tiled July 13, 1912, Serial No. 709,138, which makes that kind of fold in which the cloth is folded. reversely back upon itself.

The present inventionV has for its object the application of power tol the machine for operating it and also for carrying the operator so that it willy not only be very easy for one operator to control the machine but also to render suclrmanual assistance as may be necessary in the folding of the Cloth.

The invention can best be seen andnnderstood by reference to the 'drawings in which- Figure l shows in side .elevation a folding A machine Ylike that described in my said aplrespeetirely, by .and etween which the? plieation and having applied thereto an .attachment like. that comprising my present invention. Fig. 2 is a section on the line -3 connecting with the body of the carrier` at either side thereof and carrying at their lower ends -iianged Wheels 4 which vrun 'on tracks 5 secured to the .legs or. standards supportingthe table. The carrier Q is provided with a head-berl from which pxgojet `downwardly and forwardly. extending arms.

8 provided with turned ends rod 9.

in whiehlies a ln Fig. l the carrier is shown occupying la :retracted position. `Upon. thetehle forward of the Ecarrier when in its retractedy positionv ere arranged sets of oats-10,11, lil, 3.3,

cloth is folded in the opertino thoma- .chine as the carrier is moved haekfend'ferth over the tabl*l operator. alternately forward tion oi -tlsegearrierl endete-is pertains Aonly to sti ism for movingthe c :ind forth over the t e i to oai, the operator at the seme time that he nel4-l always be in `a. position to moet eieetiislly assist in. the operation of the machine, is accordingly unnee ssary to describe in furn ther detail the ac nil ope ation of folding the cloth which has h well in'. 'en stood in the art.

Referring now the prising my present inventien: is'

the body of the carrier and depending there from to lie alongside and parallel with they front side of thejneehine is a frainel/i ear rying n platforin 1.5 upon which operA ator may stand. Securedto thisplatforin are casters 16 assisting in the support there- ,of and which may run upon tlieioor alongside the machine or upon enyothersuitahle runway er support. v

Arranged at therear of the machine hack of the .carrier and frame lli, when the oarrier is in its retracted osition, is ashaft i? bearing e wheel or pulley 18 to which power may ybe applied for turning the shaft. T shaft extends through one ei the legs uprights 6 at the rear of the machine, a lion or bearing 19 being provided (see Fig. in which the shaft may turn. The other ond of the shaft may be Ysupported in anyvsuit able manner by a bearing, not shown. Fixed to the shaft 17 is a grooved pulley 2G. Around this pulley is passed sin endless belt 21' having oppositely-,inoving portions 22 and 23, respectively. The end of the belt opposite the pulley 20 is passed around a pulley 24 carried by a hanger 25 whichde ponds from the table l of the machine at a point beyond the set of posts 12, 13. The disposition and arrangement of the pulleys 2() and 24 are also such that the belt 2l will extend along the front side efthe ein chine justlback of the frame 14 borne by the carrier so that the operator standing;

nponthe platter-m15 will besupportedin a position Where he eaimot Contact -Wtllvithe belt by reason of the interventionoi frame 14e.-

It is thev oppositelymovingportiohsli and 23 of 'the belt whiehiopersvte vthe carrier and' platform l5 suppeen4 zand, V' El Within the vliinitationa nf iraniens-iin@- i ,tie

' inks 32 whielrexten'd substantially-at iio envies to theI links 81', and yonefofv Wlzcx' lin s'lies'. just above'endl adjacent the run-T ning ortion 22 of the belt.l nd Atheyotnerl just a ove andr` adjacent the-'rainning portioij 23 Iof the belt.` Both the' links me 'pivf clutch members liealso .just above the ree" 4 Ythe clutch member in the following manner @esew tothe platform 145v are leeers eng-.w--heselevers are pivote'EreSpeetiie'lyv to'lireekets 28 xed tothe platform 15.5;Theleverl26 carries on the end thereof a, footrest or erlal 29;? tllegleverr-,la foetrest orepeflgg-EQ, Bothtlle levers 26 and :27 extend baeknerdly throughpenings formed i'n the freineflf'.v

Each oi" these levers hee pivoted to L, af linl fl; @ne of these' links connectingwith the leverI 26; erte-nd!!ixpv'a'rdlqry to l e* point above' the portionA 220irtl'lef'belt,I and' the Vother` l link connecting witlfft'he leverfQ'i", extenflsij upwardly to a pointebove theporti'onQ'oi' thebele Pivotallyf-'eonnecting with/'the irp-A erends of these links are othripivoted ,t

Iotally seered to tu'rnnpon Studs 33 liked to vthe rameyl. Carried by thelinleff/ respectively,l and seen-red to the: outer ende' of theselinks are clutch members '3 and 85, respectively. Of' these' clutch members the cluteh member 34 is carried by that eet oflints'eor'nectingfgiyvhith the lever V`26 anrl frre'cl `by j th at set of linkseonnecting with "the lever 27. These speetive running' portions' ofthe', belt and links bearing the'seme are moved in one cliin linement tllerewith,whereby said members may be moved to engage thebelt as .the

rection, or the. clutch members occupy e lieengaging position with respect to the belt as the links bearing the same are moved'in a reverse direction. r

vAdjacent the under sides of the respective running portions of the belt opposite the clutch members 34, an 35 and with which these clutch vmembers are adapted to cooperate, are other Clutch members 36 anf 37, respeetiyely. These eluteh member-sare eecured tothe frame le of the machine by studs Eotli tlie clutch members Sil and 37 preferably consist as shown of; Small shallow groovefd wheels mounted to turn upon their supportingestmlsB- enti in the grooves of which Wheelsv the opposite rnnning portions of the belt are contained.

The operation of the device es foi-l loWs:-Assuming the carrierto be in a retracted position with the operator standing upon the platform or running-board 15, hewill first operate tlxelever .26 by depressN ing the pedal 29. Thereupon the clutch member 34 will. ne made to engage the clutch member 36 and mnning portion the belt, when the carrier7 the frame le ami platform 15 will be moved by the eelt long es 4(The pedal 29 is held depressefi #mi the clutch engagement between'tlie mere lgioeeoi 34, an the belt limietsliinecl,| on in other werflbver' tile" table e jir'per' distanee for fielding!the cloth which depends upon the. length o the lfold to be obtained. AS the .carrier ap roaehes the limit ofggitegmqve ment the 'ootwofvthe operator' is"'reiovecly from the perlllll) releasing the clutch when the Weight and normal grayiteted position of the parte issuioient to returntlie 'clutch -xnemoer Blije: a diSenge'ging-pdsition. The retraction ofthe earrieranfly platform 'oert rowing Elie clutch meniber :intofengge i'n'e'rit with the vClutch Inember'-37 and the nnning 'portion of' the belt. Thisl'eleet is obtained simply by depressing'the "lever 3G when the parte will be earriedbuelf'by the'rlxnning'portion 23' 'of' the llelt to; e proper retracted position, As the parte ap- 4Qroael'i :their` properi retracted position the *release ethe foot the operator from the perlel'i" clutchiorming' meelx'anism from: rItalie running pertion' of the belt'upon the termia rier over the table, or as' the carrier slp roeelree the limit of its'orwarci movement, ivnelx automatic release I here prorieklin the member 40 secured to one ofqtiujetrilk mism eoueecting with the running', portion QZ tore s end.` is unnecessary, however, inpraetiee owing t the feet that it is unnecessary for the carrier te assume any spe cie retracted position back o the first set of linke7 it being necessary only that the een ample time for the operator to the 'elnteii connecting with the running per tion of the belt.

lijp thefmeane above described the entire machine may ne controlled by ene.

l wordsnntl the earrieijlgeelieen moved form lidioten maybe released 4from' the belt by the;

', 'it is desirable tiret some means be', em,

ployel for 'I autemeteally" releasing the netionof theforward'movement rof the cai?u 5 et the forwordencl ofthe table,"or at'sneli j point', ee may bev oundrleeireble toy 'auto- Y .n'iatieally release the' elntelrfornilng meellaof the belt, The disposition md adaptation" otlnsmember are sueli'tletwlien the pore:

verse movement oftlieearrier and -opere 4 rier he moved Well beek of these links Wlrieli Y standing nponthe platform 15. No Walkl ing upon the part of the operator is necessary for he is borne with the carrier carry-4 ingthe cloth to just those points Where he can best Watchtlle fold' and render such manual assistance as may be necessary.

Having thus fully described m invention, l claim' and desire to secure by tters- Patent of the United States l. In i-.folding machine, the combination with a raised table, ofv a carrier movable wer said table with a forward and reverse movement, an operators stand secured vto said carrier and movable' therewith, thei samel comprising a frame connecting withn said carrier and depending therefrom along-. side said table and a platform carried by said frame, mechanism whereby power may be applied for moving said carrier and operators stand' with a forward and reverse movement, and means carried by said stand whereby an voperator standing on said platform may control the application of power to said carrier and "stand for moving the I* same as aforesaid.

In a folding machine, the combination 'with table, of a carrier movable over said table with a forward and reverse movement, in opcrators stand secured to and movable witlnk said carrier, pulleys oppositely ar-v ranged, a belt passed .around said pulleys with portions'th'reo movable in opposite directions'upon:the application of power to said'pulleys, and separate-releasable clutchforming meohanismscerried by said' stand and attachable respectively to the .opposite runningportions'of said belt. y,

' 3. In a. folding machine, the combinacion with a table, vo i' a carrier movable over seid table with a forward and reverse'movement,

an operators stand secured to and movable with said carrier, pulleys oppositelyarranged, a belt passed around said pulleys with portions thereof movable in opposite directions upon the application, of power to said pulleys,foot-levers mounted upon said stand, and separate releasable clutch-forming members controlled respectively by said levers and attachable respectively to the opposite running portionsQof said belt.

4. In a'. folding machine, thev combination with a raised table, of acarrier vmovable over said table with a forward and reverse movement, an operators stand secured to said carrier, vand movable therewith, the same comprising aframefconnecting with said carrier and depending therefrom alongside said table vand a platform carried by said frame, mechanism whereby power .may

vbe applied for' moving 'said carrier and op.- GG

erators stand VWith a forward and reverse movement, the same comprising' in' part apowendriven endless beltwith portions thereof running in reverse.v directions,,linedv c anch members secured to Said frame adjacent' the respective running portionsof said lic-it, movable clutch members cooperating therewith to grip said-opposite-ru'nning por.-l tions o the' belt, levers Pivotallysecured to said platform and link orming connections 70 interposed-between said levers andsa'id mov- .able .clutch forming members whereby said members may be controlled by said levers with-relation to said fitted clutch members 'and said belt'.

cin-ienne ai, s"1rinimriv `fllfitnesses: v i Y Jenn E; R. HAYES, M. E, FLAnnnrr, 

